Faith
by uhohskettios
Summary: AU. Sydney gets sent to live with her mother in Australia, finds an unlikely friend in Sark.
1. Chapter 1

**Author:** soulofsilence

**Title:** Faith

**Rating:** PG-13

**Ship:** Eventual Sarkney

**Summary:** Sydney is sent to Australia to live with her mother. She finds an unexpected friend in Sark, and is getting along fine. Until the blackouts anyway. That's when her world really spins out of control.

**Feedback:** Yes Please :D

**Email:** ilovechompy(at sign)msn.com

**Disclaimer:** I in no way own Alias, or anything related to Alias.

**Distribution:** SD-1, and Fanfiction. Anywhere else, just ask and I'll most likely say yes.

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**Faith**

What is Faith?

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,

the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1

**Chapter 1** __

It's amazing what people do when they think that they are not being watched. Out of the scrutinizing, public eye. Free to think and do what they wish without worry of being judged. Free to really be themselves. As if watching someone was a personal violation, an invasion of their thoughts and privacy. And you are in a way. I admit that the thought of someone watching me without my knowledge unnerves me. Eyes watching your every move, like a camera recording your movements for someone else to see. To observe. No, that's not something I'm comfortable with.

I sighed as I glanced out the window. A tall, rather round man was standing outside talking to a little blonde girl, most likely his daughter. After several minutes of talking, he bent down and she wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a goodbye hug. The child reached up and gave him a kiss on his check, hugging him even tighter. An intimate look passed between them as he whispers something in her ear. I can barely make out the words 'I love you' as I watch his moving lips. After one more quick squeeze, he set her down on the ground. Patting her head, he walked away, leaving her behind. I looked closely and could see the tears creeping out of both their eyes as the distance between them grows farther.

I have never received a goodbye hug before. Only a stiff, indifferent hug every once in awhile, and nothing when I was dropped off here. Exhaling slowly, I rolled over in my seat, facing the empty one next to me. _Why doesn't he like me? Why is he sending me away? _He had said it was because of work, and he wanted me to have a parent, a job he thought he couldn't fulfill. _Not that he was doing a great job before he got the promotion. He was never home. I was always over at Uncle Ben's house with that smelly old cat. _I wrinkled my nose as I thought of Gunther, my uncle's calico. I had no idea why the man liked him so much; it was a grouchy thing, always willing to claw at you for no reason. _I'm so glad my mom said I could bring Corri with me. I would have died if he had gone to Uncle Ben's house. Ugh! _I shudder at the thought of my poor, sweet, innocent kitten being attacked by Gunther. The little thing never would have stood a chance. In fact I wish he were sitting here on my lap right now. My little ball of orange tabby comfort. I couldn't wait to get off the plane to hold him again in my arms, hearing him purr as I stroked his soft fur. The last time I saw him was a few hours ago, when I watched as he was injected with a sedative to ease the stress of the journey for him. I would see him when this 10 hour flight was over. Despite his small size, he was the one calming effect in my life at the moment. A constant reassurance in my spinning world.

My father announcing plans of marriage had been an abrupt halt to the world I knew. He was usually one to think things out, to take careful and decisive actions is every aspect of his life. No one was more surprised than me when he made the decision. I had never met the woman, let alone heard of her. She worked with him at Jennings Aerospace as a secretary. Her name was Pamela Harrison and she was almost 10 years younger than my dad. I saw her once, about a week after they became engaged. Her platinum blonde hair had stood out like the sun during night. She had shaken my hand politely, her glued on fingernails scratching at my skin. I had said nice things, commenting her on her clothes and shoes. She looked down at me through her baby blue contacts and said overly happy, "Thank you, Sydney. I've heard so much about you. You're a lovely young lady." I thanked her, taking my hand back and resting them at my sides.

I remained respecting of her for my dad's sake. If he wanted to marry her, so be it. Who was I to stop him? _Though maybe if I had, I wouldn't be here. None of this would have happened and I would be back in my house, talking to my dad over breakfast instead of here on this stupid plane headed to Australia._ I scratched my arm as I thought back to that weekend a few weeks ago.

Flashback

It was the first weekend of summer, school had just gotten out that Thursday and all of us kids were on a high. My friend, Shelley, invited me to a party at her cousin's boyfriend's house. I said 'yes' immediately. I loved parties and I had heard that this guy threw some of the best. Unfortunately, Pamela had heard the same and when she found out I was going to the party, she forbide me to go. So I asked my dad, like any teen would when one parent said no. He was fine with it as long as I was back by midnight, which I readily agreed to. But then Pamela had to go and screw things up. When she found out that I had asked my dad she threw a fit and told him that they were horrible parties with drugs, alcohol and sex, which actually wasn't that far from the truth, but it wasn't like I was going to do any of that. But obviously my dad didn't trust me. So I did the only thing I could do. I snuck out. And let's just say that fate wasn't on my side that night. To start off the night, my friends were already drunk when I arrived. The boys were out of control and were persistently hitting on me. One went so far as to push me into a room and force me onto the bed. But I knocked him out before he even got the second button on my shirt undone. _Those karate lessons finally paid off,_ I had thought, remembering all the lessons I had taken every year since I turned 4. I had hurriedly exited the room, pushing through the crowds of kids to the door. Before I got there, Shelley came up to me, laughing her head off. To say she was drunk was an understatement. She leaned up against me and I wavered under the added weight. I got her outside just in time for her to lean over some bushes and throw up. I looked away as all of her stomach's contents empty on the lawn. When she was done, I helped her into my car. At this point she wasn't laughing anymore, instead she was sobbing wildly. I turned to take a closer look at her and realized all her clothes were askew as if she had gotten dressed hastily in the dark. A mismatched button here, a wrinkle there. Sighing, I got in the car and leaned my head back against the head rest. After having taken a second to think things out, I decided to head for our friend Kelly's house. Luckily, she was too sensible to have come here with us. I stuck the key in the ignition and turned it. Nothing. I tried again. Nothing happened. _Dammit! What timing! Piece of shit!_ I punched the seat, frustrated. I glanced around, but I couldn't see anyone. I didn't want to leave Shelley alone in the car, but I didn't have much of a choice. I told her I would be right back, just in case she could comprehend what I was saying and ran inside. _I remember seeing Justin in here somewhere,_ I thought as I ran throughout the house searching for him. Justin was a good friend of ours, who happened to have a major crush on Shelley._ Let's just hope he isn't drunk as well. That would be my luck. _And it was. I found him passed out on a couch, beer spilled all over his clothes. _This is just great, just fucking great. _Turning on my heels I left the room. I found what I was looking for in the kitchen. Picking up the telephone I dailed a familiar number

...ring...ring...

Come on, pick up...please? I was just about to hang up when I heard the phone being picked up.

"Hello?" I sighed in relief as I heard Kelly's voice over the phone.

"Kelly? Can you come pick us up? Shelley's drunk and her car isn't working." I heard her let out a sigh.

"Yeah, sure. Where are you?"

"We're at 912 Gambriel Dr."

"I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Thanks, Kelly. You're the best."

"Don't mention it. Just don't let this happen again."

"Okay. Thanks again sooooo much."

"See ya'." I hung up the phone and went back outside to wait. When I got back to the car I found Shelley leaning out the window, her head down in her hands. I knew she'd gotten sick again and vomited. I walked over and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Shell. Kelly is coming to pick is up soon." She nodded weakly, groaning slightly as she moved her head. I pushed her hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ears. Sitting down on the ground a couple of feet away, I started humming quietly, waiting for Kelly's green car to pull up. After a few round of songs, I saw headlights coming up the street. I stood up, waiting to see if it was her. It was. Kelly got out of the car and ran over to us. She looked down at Shelly before picking her up and putting one of her arms over her shoulder. She nodded at me to do the same. We walked carefully and slowly over to Kelly's car. We laid her down gently in the backseat, her head resting on my leg. Kelly climbed into the driver's seat and started the car. After buckling up, she pulled out and drove down the street.

The scene that unfolded when I came home at 2:30 am and got caught by my dad sneaking in through my bedroom window was not pleasant. My plan had not gone as I hoped at all. Not in the least.

"Where the hell were you?" he shouted, face turning red. "You better not have been at that party! You better have a good explanation." I just stood there and stared. I wasn't really up to explaining what had happened. Nor did I want him to know. So all I said was I was with Shelley and I didn't realize how late it was and the front door was locked, so I couldn't get in. Dad closed the distance between us in a few steps and I fought the urge to run away. He circled around me, his eyes burning into me.

"Then why do you smell like vomit, smoke and beer?"

"Uh..." What was I supposed to say? He wouldn't have understood. He never seems to understand anything. "I-I-I..."

"That's what I thought. Go to bed. We'll talk about it in the morning." He left the room, leaving me alone. I let out a heavy sigh and flopped onto my bed. _He's right...I do smell like vomit._ I got up and grabbed a towel and pajamas and went into my connected bathroom. After showering, I fell asleep quickly, exhausted but clean.

_What is that? Make it go away. Now! Please? _A persistent voice was calling my name.I groaned and rolled over onto my back. Opening my eyes slowly as the blurry world came into focus. Pamela and Dad were standing over me at the end of my bed, arms crossed, looking stern.

"Get dressed then come out to the living room. We need to talk." I tried to read my dad's face, trying to measure how angry he was, but as usual, it was unreadable. _Damn!_

I slowly got dressed, taking my time. _What are they going to do? Ground me for a month? Maybe two? I could live through that._ Thinking that' would most likely be my punishment, I headed out to the living room thinking I knew what was coming. I had no idea what would really happen.

"Sit down." My father ordered as I stepped into the spacious white room. I sat down in the chair across from the couch they were sitting in.

"Pamela and I have been talking about this, and we've decided on an arrangement." I leaned back in my seat waiting for him to say the words, "You're grounded." They never came.

"We've decided to send you away." Dad stated calmly, no expression whatsoever flittering across his face. I bolted up right in my seat.

YOU WHAT?! You're sending me away? Where to?" I had stood up and started to pace, yelling at this point. Why did they want to send me away? All my friends were here, everything I ever knew.

"Calm down, Sydney. We are sending you to go live with your mother. She lives in Australia." He answered my questions matter-a-factly.

"Mom?" I asked quietly. He never talked about her. Never.

"Yes. She's expecting you next weekend. Your flight leaves at 6:00 pm Friday night."

"Why though? Why are you sending me away?" _Especially to mom. I don't get it._

"We feel," He gestured at Pamela and himself. "We feel that we can't handle you. I'm never home and Pamela is going to be working more now so she'd be home less then as well. I don't feel I'm giving you the attention and environment you need in which to grow up correctly." _Correctly? What does that mean? It's not like I'm a wild child. I have good grades, I never get into trouble...wait...there were those few times. So maybe I have had my share of being in trouble. Don't we all?_

"For how long?" I asked. Dad looked as if he hadn't expected the question to come up, like I shouldn't care what they had planned out for my future.

"Well, it's hard to say. Until you are 18, I would suppose." _18?! That's almost 2 years away! I just turned 16 a month ago._ I lowered my eyes to my hands, still contemplating all that had been said. For a few minutes there was silence. I was surprised at how quiet Pamela was being, since she was usually one to input her opinion immediately without hesitation in the slightest. Then I could feel dad getting up, heading over towards me.  
  
"I love you. Sydney. This is for the best." He rested his hand on my shoulder, but I jerked away from him as if his touch burned. Angrily, I raised my eyes up to look him in the eye.  
  
"Sure, it's for the best." I muttered sarcastically. "Whatever works for you and your precious _wife_. I mean, I'm only your daughter after all. Why should you care about_ me_?" I shot out of my seat and ran towards the front door.  
  
"Sydney, come back here right now!" Dad shouted loudly, coming after me. But of course I didn't. _What did he think? That I would?_ Laughing until tears formed in my eyes, I ran. Until I became so tired and the world around me started spinning. _Maybe it's just as well. _I thought tiredly. _I don't really have any friends here anyway. No one that I can talk to at least._ I slid down a tree, resting at the bottom of the trunk, hands folded on my knees. I sat there crying until it became dark and I could think clearly again. 

End of Flashback

I shivered in my seat, suddenly cold, rubbing my palms against the bare skin of my arms; I sat up looking out the window. The ocean stretched out below me, a never-ending expanse of blue, reminding me I couldn't escape what was planned out for me. _We've only been up here for 10 minutes at the most and I already feel like it's been forever._ I was nervous about meeting my mom. I had never met her, let alone seen a picture of her. At the airport, right before I boarded, the plane Dad told me she had long chestnut hair and hazel eyes. Just like me. She was supposed to pick me up as soon as I landed and then we'd start the 3-hour drive to my new house. I was anxious about what we would talk about that whole time. Just the two of us together for the first time since I could remember. It was kind of overwhelming actually, thinking about it. So closing my eyes, I decided to forget about it for the time being and relax. _After all, being happy doesn't mean everything is perfect. It just means that you can see past the imperfections, right?_ I hope I can be happy in my new home, half a world away from where I was used to it being. _And I really hope my mom likes me._ That was my last thought as sleep overtook me, luring me into its deep, cozy blanket of false security.

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Hey, this is what I have so far of this story. I just wanted to know if anyone would be interested in reading the rest? I have some more written, but . . . I just wanted to make sure you'll would like it before I got to far. :)

So Please read and review and tell me what you think :D

Thanks!!

Elizabeth


	2. Chapter 2

**Author:** soulofsilence

**Title:** Faith

**Rating:** PG-13

**Ship:** Eventual Sarkney

**Feedback:** Yes Please :D

**Email**: ilovechompy(at 

**Disclaimer:** I in no way own Alias, or anything related to Alias.

**Distribution:** SD-1, and Fanfiction. Anywhere else, just ask and I'll most likely say yes.

**Authors Note:** Thanks for the reviews guys! I'm glad you like it so far. Here's the nect chapter! Enjoy :)

Faith

What is Faith?

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,

the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1

Chapter 2 __

I woke up to a loud voice blaring over the intercom.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We will be landing in roughly five minutes. Please fasten your seat belts and thank you for choosing Delta to provide your flying needs. Have a nice day." I blinked slowly. _We're here already? Wow._ I leaned over in my seat to see out the window. Land passed beneath us, trees and houses zooming by below. _I must have made up for all the sleep I didn't get last week. _I rubbed my eyes and lifted my arms up over my head, stretching out. I picked up my book from the seat next to mine and stuffed it into my carry-on bag. Settling back in my chair, I waited for the bumpy landing. _I'm so nervous; I really do hope she likes me. I mean, she is my mother after all. Why am I so worried about this? Whatever happens will happen, no matter what. _I tried to clear my mind of doubts and instead looked at the people surrounding me. There was an old man across the row blowing his nose in a handkerchief; his wife was digging through her purse looking for something. Next to them was a young boy playing with a Game Boy SP.

"Come on, Henry. Put your stuff up." He turned his head toward the elder lady.

"Okay, Grandma. Just a minute." He put down his Game Boy and tucked it away in its case. Then it struck me. _Will I have grandparents here?_ I hadn't back in L.A. since my dad's parents had died when he was only 17, leaving him to take care of 12-year-old Ben. I had always wished I had a Grandma to bake cookies with and a Grandpa to help build things. _Maybe Mom's parents live here._ I thought excitedly. _Maybe I'll finally get to know what it's like to have grandparents. Man, A mom and maybe grandparents all in a few days. That's a lot of change. Good change, though._

The plane landed and people scurried off, eager to be greeted by friends and relatives. I hung back, readying myself for meeting the mother I hadn't met or seen my entire life. Stepping forward, I walked to the end of the plane, up the ramp and into the airport. I stepped aside to let others pass, my eyes searching frantically for my mother._ Brown hair...nope, not her...or her...or him...is that? _My eyes stopped on a tall, thin woman, her hair pulled back in a bun at the nape of her neck. Her piercing hazel-brown eyes met mine, and I knew it was her. That's my Mom. She started walking toward me, and I toward her. Halfway to her, I wondered what to do. _Do I hug her? Or not? _Before I had time to debate what to do, she pulled me into her arms, wrapping me tightly against her. I put my arms around her too, resting my chin on her shoulder. After several seconds, she pulled back to inspect me.

"Hello, Sydney. You sure have grown since I saw you 16 years ago."

"Thanks." _Thanks? That makes no sense. I'm really not this dumb, Mom. Really!_

"How was your flight?" She took one of my hands in hers and started walking towards baggage claim.

"It was good. I slept during most of it actually." We walked into the big, airy, baggage room. She led me over to tall guy with a bunch of curly auburn hair on his head. He was looking at us, waiting for us to get to him.

"Sydney, this is my husband, Kyle." He looked at me, a grin on his face.

"Hi, Sydney. It's nice to meet you." He reached his hand out. I reached for it, shaking it limply. _Husband? She's married? _For some reason I had never even thought of that possibility. That was surely unexpected.

" N-nice to meet you," I stuttered. His handshake was firm and hard. It was then that I saw a mop of long, curly red hair under his other hand. A little angelic face peeked up at me, turning away in shyness after a few seconds. _Wait. They have a daughter?_ Today certainly isn't letting up on the surprises. Upon seeing my surprised look, Mom introduced the little girl.

"And this little girl is your sister, Kalia." Irina smiled down at the little girl. "Don't you want to meet your big sister, Sydney?" Kalia peeked around her father's leg, her big blue eyes meeting mine. She smiled shyly, lifting a hand up to wave hello. I bent down so I was on her level.

"Hey, I'm Sydney. How are you?" I asked softly. Kalia tilted her head to get a better look at me.

"Hi," she whispered softly.

"Hi. How old are you?"

"Fwee," she told me as she held up four fingers.

"Wow, that's awesome. I'm 16." I waited for her to say something else, but she just stood there staring.

"It takes her awhile to get used to new people," Mom said. "Oh, and I guess I should tell you about Aiden."

"Who?"_ Another kid? A dog? Huh?_

"Aiden is your brother." _Whoa, and now I have a brother, too? I guess that's cool._

"Oh. And how old is he?"

"He just turned 6 about two weeks ago. He's very excited to meet you. He would be here, but he had an away softball game. But you'll meet him tomorrow." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear like I always did and I smiled having learned where that habit came from.

"Come on, let's get going. I'm starved!" she said. We got my suitcases and headed out to the car. For the whole ride to the restaurant where we were having lunch, Kalia just sat beside me in her booster seat, staring at me in awe. It was beginning to unnerve me, so I just stared right back at her. Her brilliantly red hair glinted as the sun shone on it through the windows and gave her freckles an innocent look.

"How is your father doing, Sydney?" Mom asked from the front seat.

"He's doing fine."

"That's good." The conversation stalled there. _What was I supposed to say now?_ We stayed silent the rest of the ride to the restaurant.

When we arrived at the restaurant we were seated in a private room. I glanced around as I sat down. The walls were red with a black and white trim. Black and white pictures hung from the walls. A waiter placed menus in front of us while another set out glasses of water.

"Please inform us when you are ready to order," the waiter said.

"We will. Thank you." Kyle replied. Picking up my menu, I glanced over it.

_Chicken AlfredoFettuccini noodles served in creamy alfredo sauce._

Freshly grilled chicken mixed in.

Also comes with soup and salad..

I think I'll have that. I glanced over the rest of the menu. _Yup, that's what I want._ I folded the menu and laid it back down gently in front of me. Kalia was sitting next to me, scribbling all over her paper kid's menu. She stopped drawing for a second to look up at me and smile, holding a crayon out for me. I scooted my chair closer to hers and accepted the crayon. I grinned as I doodled on the menu.

_Kalia is so adorable! I can't believe she's my sister. We look nothing alike. I look like Mom and she looks like Kyle. _Kalia's curly, long, red hair and bright blue eyes contrasted against my short, straight, brown hair and hazel eyes. Her freckles stood out everywhere, particularly on the bridge across her nose, making her cute button nose even cuter. I had a few freckles, but never as many as I would have liked. I looked at Kalia once more before looking over at Mom. She and Kyle were watching us, smiling softly.

"Can you help her choose what she wants to eat?" Mom asked me.

"Sure." I nodded. Turning back to Kalia, I looked down at her menu. _Let's see what there is._

"Do you like hot dogs?" She shook her head no, making a face.

"Eeew. They gwoss."

"Yeah, they are," I agreed. "How about a cheeseburger?" She thought for a moment.

"Nah." She shook her head, her soft curls bouncing.

"Umm...what about macaroni? Do you like that?" Her eyes lit up.

"Yesh!! I looove macawoni!" She grinned, showing her little, pearly, white teeth.

"Macaroni, it is then. Good choice." I smiled at her as she continued her scribbling.

After our food had been ordered and we had eaten all we wanted, we sat back and relaxed. We joked around for awhile, talking about odds and ends.

"So, do you play any sports, Sydney?" Kyle asked curiously.

"Yup. I was in track back in L.A."

"That's good. Did you like it?"

"Yeah. It was fun." _This isn't going very well. I wish I was better at small talk. 'Cuz right now I'm making a fool of myself. _"So..." I struggled quickly to think of something to say. "What do you do, Mom?"

"I'm an English teacher."

"That's cool. What grade?"

"5th and 6th."

"Ah." _And I stalled the conversation once again. Think Sydney, think!_ "What about you, Kyle? What do you do?"

"I have a boring job. I'm the President of a large software company. Boring stuff."

"Sounds...interesting," I nodded.

"Yeah," Kyle rolled his eyes. "Very interesting."

"Well, I'm ready to go," Mom said picking up her purse. I stood up and watched Kyle pick up Kalia who had fallen asleep soon after dessert. We walked out to the car in silence. I turned my head towards the stars. _Wow! There is a lot more stars than in L.A. _It was a lot clearer here without all the city lights. _Hey, there's Cancer and there's the Big Dipper, too._ I always loved stars. To know that thousands of others all over the world were looking up at the same expanse of sky was reassuring. It made you feel safer, knowing that you weren't as alone as you might think. _I wonder if Dad is looking up at them right now._ I was starting to miss him, which surprised me. I guess his usual stoic demeanor always comforted me. I was never guessing or wondering what would happen next. He laid out the plan, made it known and followed it. No surprises. _At least he used to be that way._ I climbed in the car, shivering as a cold night breeze swept through the air.

It took about 3 hours to drive to the house, so when we finally arrived it was around midnight. I got out of the car and reached for one of my bags, turning around I started for the house. _Wait. This is their house? _I looked up in awe at the large three story house that greeted my eyes. The white bricks glowed in the dark, the green expanse of yard spreading out for miles around us, disappearing into a forest of trees. Their nearest neighbor was a five minute drive away and the town was a good ten minutes away. I shook myself out of the trance I had been in and followed Mom to the door.

"Not what you were expecting?" she asked with a chuckle as she unlocked the door.

"Well...it's just a little bit bigger than I thought it would be." I stepped inside onto a white marble floor. A wooden staircase stood before me, leading up to the second floor. Mom lead me up the stairs and down a hallway.

"This is your room. Kalia is across the hall and Aiden is in the next room down." She opened the door into a large spacious bedroom. It was decorated in pale blues with light yellows accenting it.

"You can go ahead and unpack what you brought with you. The rest of your stuff should arrive in the next couple of days."

"Okay." I nodded, opening up my suitcase to get some pajamas.

"I'm going to go tuck Kalia in while you get ready for bed. I'll be back in a few minutes." She left the room and closed the door behind her. I changed into my nice and comfortable pajamas. I went into the connecting bathroom, which was decorated like the bedroom. I brushed my teeth, putting the brush in its new home and pulled back my hair. Going back into the bedroom, I studied the bed. _Good. It looks nice and plump. Just the way I like it._ I pulled down the covers and laid down in it, sighing. _Why does flying make you so tired? All you do is sit there on your butt. Weird._ I was about to nod off when I heard the door open. I cracked open an eye to see my mom enter. She sat down on the bed next to me and I sat up, waiting for her to talk.

"I'm so glad you're here, Sydney. If there is anything you need, just tell me." She looked at me, her eyes seeing into mine.

"I will," I told her. "And I'm glad to be here, too."

"I guess I'll see you in the morning then. Goodnight." She stood up and walked to the door. Just as she was about to leave, she turned back to me. "I love you, Sydney."

"I love you too, Mom. Goodnight." She left, closing the door silently behind her. _She said she loves me. Wow! _I smiled to myself. _My mom loves me._ It was nice to know. I had never been able to say those words before. The thought of hearing those words again gave me a reassurance I hadn't felt before, like a blanket of security. I replayed those words over and over in my head until the sand in my eyes became too much and I finally surrendered, letting sleep take me over.

TBC . . . .

AN - I won't be able to update for about 4 weeks becuase I'm going to be on vacation. But I'll update as soon as I get back. promise :)

Elizabeth


	3. Chapter 3

Okay, so I know it's been a long time since I updated ::blush:: but here is more, hehe. I can't promise the next update will be any quicker though, cuz I'm very, very, very lazy.

**freelancer26:** Thanks :) Here's the update :-p

**jamie lee**: Thank you!I'm glad you likey.

**elizabeth:** haha! Elizabeth is a awesome green toad rockin' name! I'm happy you like my story so far!

**silentchibi:** Thanks for the review Lissa. Lotta help you were in getting this new one up! lol. Whaddya have against me? huh? Bleh, I bet you won't even read this, hehe.

**Kae:** Heh, it's okay you didn't review then :p Yay! you like it! Though, you got the talented part wrong.

**landi104:** Thanks so much Christina! hehe, happy you like it.

**eight flights up:** Thanks! that was enough to say to make me smile.

**Illyria04:** YAY!!! you like! ::happy:: thank you!

**victoria-king: **Thank you! I think Kalia is just adorable too, lol.

**Bek:** haha! I bet she only stoled it cuz it be an awesome rockin thingy machigar to say, lol. I like saying it . . to myself . . . redundantly . . . . this is the life of elizabeth, pathetic, ain't it? hehe.

**MONKEY!!!!!!!: **lalalaaa!!!

Q "Another kid? A dog? Huh?" Ah, yes, the infamous Aidan dog... ::nods knowingly:: /Q

AHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!! yesh yesh, that is who the Aiden guy be.

Q

#1. Loyal Henry Fan  
#1. Loyal Kalia Fan :P  
-that Aidan dog-kid-thing better be cool... /Q

Okies, that be coolness, they got their own fans, hehe. I'm redundant tonight. wheeeeeeeeeeeeehheeeeeheeeeee.

QI LIKE TO CACKLE EVILLYI LIKE TO CACKLE EVILLY  
IF YOU SAW MEYOU WOULD CACKLE EVILLY  
WE LIKE TO HAVE SOME FUN  
WE LIKE TO SEE THE SUN  
CACCKLE EVILLY/EVILLY/I LIKE TO CACKLE EVILY/Q

lmao! that's funny . . . I dunno why atm, but it is. very mush. and my eyes be dry. and I'm trying to write more of this story but I keep on putting it off and now I am replying to reviews, cuz . . . I want to.

**A/N **so here it be, the new chapter. Did you know that you can't have double letters in the reviews you leave? ::sad:: I was leaving a review on Amour Sans last night, and it took away all my double letters!!!! 'cept like the ones that were 'supposed to be there, like the double 'l's in wall. I dunno why I was typing wall anymore though . .. ::ponders::

**DUDES!!! I GOT JENIFFER GARNER'S AUTOGRAPH!!!!!!!!!!! it's personalized too, hehe. I'm sooo hypycited D**

** FAITH **

_What is faith?_

_Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,_

_The evidence of things not seen._

_Hebrews 11:1_

**Chapter 3**

The next morning I awoke to Corri pawing at my face. Reaching up, I pulled him down to my chest and began to rub his stomach.

"Hello there, Buddy." I smiled when I heard him purr, and rubbed for a few more minutes before placing him next to me and stretching my sleepy limbs. Getting out of bed, I walked quickly across the cold wooden floor to my dresser. I grabbed a set of clean clothes before heading to the bathroom whistling happily away to the song,

_'Good morning, good morning. How are you today? Good morning, good morning, to you.'_

It was the song my dad had sung to me when I was younger. He'd sneak into my room and creep up next to my bed. Then he'd gently tickle my nose with the tip of his finger before bursting out into song. I remember waking up in fits of laughter, begging _'Uncle!'_. I sighed, getting lost in my memories as I slipped off my pajamas and into clean clothes. After taking a few minutes to freshen up I headed out of my room and found my way to the kitchen. No one else seemed to be around, so I started opening random cupboards to try and find the one that held the glasses. Finding them, I headed to the fridge. I was about to open it to get out the orange juice, but was stopped by a piece of paper with my name on it. I set the glass down and removed the paper from under the magnet. Unfolding it I read:

_Sydney,_

_Sorry to leave you alone on your first day here. Kalia had gymnastics in town this morning, and we had to be here to pick up Aiden at 2:00 pm. We were going to see if you would like to come along, but you were out like a log and we didn't want to wake you. We should be back by 5:30 with dinner. I hope you like Chinese. If you get hungry before then, help yourself to the food in the kitchen. _

_-Mom_

I read it slowly, then dropped it into the trash can. I was glad they were gone, however selfish that sounded; I needed some time to just laze around and think. After breakfast I decided to go exploring, starting on the lower floor. First the kitchen, the living room, and the family room, all of which I had already seen.

Next was the library. It was gorgeous! There were hundreds of books shelved all around me, waiting to be read. Some of them looked plain and boring, but others looked fascinating, full of stories to read that would keep me entertained for hours on end. I walked along one of the shelves, trailing my fingers over the spines. Dust stirred around, re-settling on a new surface. Sitting down in a large chair, I let out a breath of contentment. The chair practically swallowed me whole into the soft comfort of fluff. I closed my eyes for a moment, relaxing into the warmth of the chair. Reluctantly, I pulled myself out of the self-imposed trance a few minutes later. I walked over to the French doors and stared outside. The sun was shining brightly, although dark clouds threatened to hide the pleasant weather.

I opened one of the doors and slipped outside. There was a garden full of beautiful, exotic flowers of many different shapes and colors. I bent my nose over to smell them. _Mmmm._ They smelled like honey. I walked on, following the path of elegant white bricks paved into the ground. Coming to a circle with a fountain in the middle, and benches set up around it, I decided to sit down for a few minutes and listen to the birds as they sang to me.

"Hey, are you the new girl?" I whipped my head around to see a girl about my age walking across the garden toward me. Her white-blonde hair blew in the wind, brown eyes looking at me curiously.

"Yeah, I guess that would be me." I smiled slightly as she took my hand and pumped it up and down enthusiastically.

"Great! We've been waiting for you to arrive for days now!" She looked over her shoulder and called out, "Hurry up Dippy!" I followed her gaze and saw a tall, tan, girl with long brown hair running our direction. "By the way," She turned back to me "My name is Tianna."

"I'm Sydney."

"Hel-Hello." The girl reached us, panting rapidly. Extending her hand towards me she introduced herself. "Hey, I'm Dippy. Nice to meet you."

"Sydney." I stated, smiling at her. Her handshake, though less vigorous than Tianna's, had a certain warmth and friendliness to it that Tianna's lacked. _I think I'm going to like this girl._ Tianna patted her friend on the back.

"What took you so long to get here Dippy?" She teased, a smirk playing across her face. "I even gave you a head start."

Dippy rolled her eyes playfully. "Yeah, but you had a scooter, I was on my feet!" Dippy punched Tianna lightly on the shoulder before turning back to me. "So how old are you?"

"I'm 16, you?" I looked at them, twisting a soft strand of hair between my fingers habitually.

"I'm 15, and so is Dippy here as well." Tianna spoke for the both of them.

"Cool." _Shoot! Why can I never think of anything to say when I need to?_

"So . . . Do you have any brother or sisters back home?" Tianna asked curiously.

"Nope, I was an only child." Pause. "Do either of ya'll have siblings?"

"Yup. I have two older brothers. Julian, who is the same age as you, and Andrian who is eighteen," Tianna offered.

"I have 6 younger brothers and sisters, quite annoying at times." Dippy laughed.

"Wow! That's an awful lot of siblings." I was amazed. I'd never known anyone with that many brothers and sisters. Most of my friends were the only children in their family; just a few had a brother or sister, though never more than two.

"Are you liking it here so far?" Tianna asked, sitting down on the bench across from me.

"Yeah," I laughed. "I like the house, and the couple of other places I've been to so far."

"Do you like it better here than you do where you used to live?" Tianna started interrogating me.

"Well . . . I'm more used to my home still, but I guess that maybe after I've been here for a while I might start to like it more than back in L.A."

"Do you like pizza?"

"Duh, what sane person doesn't?" I teased. "Of course I do."

"What's your favorite color?"

"Black."

Dippy raised her eyebrow quizzically. "Black?" She asked. "Why?"

I shrugged. "I dunno, I guess cuz I find it comforting. I love to just sit in the dark at night and think. It's just so calm, ya know?"

"Yeah, kinda..." Dippy smiled. Tianna eyed us.

"Okay, I don't know what ya'll are talking about. Black is creepy! There is **no** comfort in it whatsoever."

"Whatever." Dippy stuck her tongue out at her friend playfully. Tianna stuck her own out in return.

"Bleh, fine." She smiled. "So do you want to do something?"

"What is there to do around here?" I asked curiously.

"Well," Tianna started, "we have a Movie Theater, a decent-sized mall, a swimming pool, an ice rink, and then there's _Oz and Noz_."

"Oz and Noz? What kind of a place is that?" I asked, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Oh, it's this really cool spot that all the teenagers hang out at. The owners are two very awesome women, who are very cool and fun to talk with. It has pizza, arcade games, and a sitting corner which is covered in huge bean bags."

"Wow, that sounds pretty cool."

"It is." Tianna stated. Dippy nodded her head in agreement.

"It is indeed."

**A/N-**

Bows down to the wonder that is Monkey. Wow! Thankyoutahnkyoutahnkyouthankyou for betaing this D love youuuu, thank you! Didn't she do an awesome job? it's so much better now and I'm soo tired cuz I just woke up. . . . had a really freaky dream about Lord of the Rings . baaad. Hope ya'll liked it :-p Pleasche review? Yes? great!

lalalaaaaaa deedoooodoooop baaaaam boooop.

Elizabeth


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